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<title>Knowing the Game by IvyCoveredWalls (orphan_account)</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26262373">Knowing the Game</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/IvyCoveredWalls'>IvyCoveredWalls (orphan_account)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Abuse, Hurt Angel Dust (Hazbin Hotel), Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Multi, Past Abuse</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:28:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Rape/Non-Con</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>854</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26262373</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/IvyCoveredWalls</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Angel is having a rough time adjusting to not needing to use sex to secure his safety. Alastor doesn't make that easier.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alastor &amp; Angel Dust (Hazbin Hotel), Angel Dust &amp; Vaggie (Hazbin Hotel)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>72</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Knowing the Game</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>TW: PLEASE READ THE TAGS. PUT YPUR WELL BEING BEFORE MY SEVERAL MONTHS OLD VENT FIC!!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Here's the thing. The really shitty, fucked up thing. Angel knew it wasn't healthy. He just didn't care. It hurt, it would leave him bruised, and aching. He always felt terrible afterwards. Used, filthy, objectified. But during it he didn't care, and self destructive high was worth the crash. And really, he kind of enjoyed the crash too. No, that wasn't the right word. It satisfied him. </p><p>It was always terrible. Afterwards he was full of regret and self-loathing. But that was a familiar feeling. And this was a familiar scenario. One he could pretend he controlled. So he let them fuck him. </p><p>And "them" was whoever wanted to. So long as they weren't nice about it. It felt better to seek out getting hurt and know it was coming, than to be surprised with it. So he felt more in control of that too. And sometimes they'd be sweet afterwards. They'd take care of him. </p><p>He knew what to expect with Val. And it wasn't anything pleasant. Not before, during or afterwards. Val had ingrained into him a long time ago that he wasn't in control. He never would be. Angel hated it. He hated Val. Escaping him felt like falling. There was the exhilarating rush of moving through the air, but the crushing knowledge that he'd hit the ground. That he would never really be free.</p><p>But when he signed the contract with Charlie he could hope. She was the princess of Hell. She outranked Val by a long shot. Compared to her Val was a speck of dust. So Angel dared to let himself look forward to a future. </p><p>Vaggie didn't like him. She thought he was irredeemable. He did too, so he couldn't really blame her. The Radio Demon and his employees ranged from neutral to outright discouraging in Alastor's case. </p><p>He was a game to Alastor. He knew that. It was fine. He tried to make it out like Alastor was a game to him. He would try getting Angel to relapse, Angel would flirt with him. Sometimes he wished Alastor would take him up on it. Being treated like a toy, something to play with, that was something Angel knew. But his experience was pretty much limited to the bedroom. Really almost all his experiences, in death at least, were. </p><p>----</p><p>Angel snapped. It was fairly quiet in the common area. Charlie didn't have a ton of guests, so it wasn't very populated. At the moment it was just Angel, Vaggie, Husk, and Alastor. It was dead silent, and Angel's brain just wouldn't shut up. Until he snapped. </p><p>"Look I don't give a fuck if you gotta problem with me. Just stop fucking around with me."</p><p>It went back to being dead silent. Vaggie was the one to speak first. </p><p>"What the fuck are you talking about?"</p><p>"I ain't talking to you. I'm talking to Smiles over there."</p><p>Alastor, grin and all looked at Angel. </p><p>"What could you mean by that?"</p><p>"I mean stop fucking around and be upfront about whatever fucked up game your playing."</p><p>"I'm sure I don't know what you mean."</p><p>"Fine. Keep playing dumb Strawberry. Play with me all you want, but at least have the decency to do it in my territory."</p><p>Angel stormed up to his room. He'd had hope for a future. But maybe this wasn't so different than being with Val. He'd never be in control, either way. But at least with Val he knew the game he was losing. </p><p>----</p><p>Alastor found him sleepy, drunk, and alone. It wasn't hard, he knew his room wasn't a great hiding spot. He wasn't really hiding though, hiding implied that someone might come after you. Until Alastor showed up at Angel's door, he didn't think someone caring enough to come after him was a concern. </p><p>"What did you mean in there Angel Dust?"</p><p>The sincerity in Alastors tone jarred Angel. He blinked up at Alastor from where he was, sprawled across the bed. </p><p>"What do you mean?"</p><p>"What game do you think I'm playing? What did you mean 'your territory'?"</p><p>Angel huffed a bitter laugh. Alastor's tone was gentle and soothing. Very un-Alastor. Angel was too tired to be suspicious. </p><p>"I don't know what game you're playing with me Alastor. You aren't like the other people that like to play with me. I know that game. I know I look pretty and they do what they want, and then we move on. You, you don't want me like that. You like testing me. With the drugs and shit you leave. I don't know why. I don't know you're fucking game."</p><p>Alastor let Angel talk. No one liked when he talked. But Alastor let him. And when Angel stopped at last Alastor gave him an answer.</p><p>"I want to see if redemption is really possible. It's probably stupid. You're not here for the same reasons I am. You could be redeemed, really. But you're the only person here working their way through this. And I keep thinking maybe, if Angel can do it, there might be just a sliver of hope for me."</p><p>"Fuck."</p><p>"Quite."</p>
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